Good Ol' English
Sometimes the English language really intrigues me. I don’t profess to have a vast knowledge or great grasp of this fine language, as I was always more of the math and science type, but there have always been little things that just fascinate me. So today I was doing a little browsing of Dictionary.com and I came across a word that I’ve always thought to be quite interesting.wan·ton
adj. - Immoral or unchaste; lewd.
- a. Gratuitously cruel; merciless. b. Marked by unprovoked, gratuitous maliciousness; capricious and unjust: wanton destruction.
- Unrestrainedly excessive: wanton extravagance; wanton depletion of oil reserves.
- Luxuriant; overabundant: wanton tresses.
- Frolicsome; playful.
- Undisciplined; spoiled.
- Obsolete. Rebellious; refractory.
Ok. How exactly can a word mean both immoral or unchaste and frolicsome and playful? What in the world? I mean, I would hope we don’t get the meanings of those two mixed up due to a lack of context in a sentence. I’d hate to tell a friend of mine that “I was out with that wanton lass from Sedgewick County the other night.” while quite intending to convey the idea that she was a spoiled girl or even quite playful, yet he is sitting there thinking I’m hanging out with some lewd woman. That could make for quite an uncomfortable situation for some.Another one that strikes me as interesting is one that my brother pointed out to me a few years ago:moot
adj. - Subject to debate; arguable: a moot question.
- a. Law. Without legal significance, through having been previously decided or settled. b. Of no practical importance; irrelevant.
Once again, how can something mean arguable and irrelevant? I would think that those are somewhat conflicting ideas. I certainly wouldn't want to argue about something that is irrelevant. And just like the aforementioned word, I would definitely hate to tell someone that I had a moot question intending to convey that it was debatable yet they think I’m telling them it’s not important. No one would ever understand me. Come to think of it, maybe I’m already doing this as people tend to fail to grasp what I’m saying a majority of the time anyway. In closing, I’m sure this entire post is quite moot. I hope all you wanton readers have an ambiguous day.
5 comments:
regarding the wonton-one, i like the way that sounds, i don't think you would have to worry about confusing anyone because we all know you wouldn't be out with a girl the night before.
Umm. Thanks for the compliment. I shan't be calling you Barnabette any time soon.
I love that you used ambiguous!! How cool is that! Did you know that LRS is sometimes ambiguous and verbose when he writes his papers?? Do you know who I mean when I write LRS?? love ya
Joey from Friends should read your blog, seeing as he thinks the word is Moo, as in a cows oppinion if I remember correctly (it's a moo point). Your post would definitely not be moot for him.
I know to whom Frau is referring!!!
How's that for a bit of linguistic correctness? ;o)
As anyone who's ever been married can tell you, most arguments in this world concern things which are irrelevant. So it makes sense that something can be arguable and irrelevant at the same time, since people constantly engage in verbal battles over things that don't matter one whit!
And if you're worried that your friends will think your wanton girl is lewd instead of merely spoiled, just tell them she's neither a doxy nor a blowen, and that should clear up the situation posthaste.
Oh, and I love your last line, Matt! ;o)
Post a Comment